Teen Cuties
by Genius-626
Summary: AU Heroes Cuties drabbles set in high school. Tamora is the new girl in town who later becomes captain of the football team, Felix is a star pupil and class president. I know its not the most original idea, but its just fluff, so...enjoy :D
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ****I posted this on tumblr thinking it would be a one time thing, but I've thought of new chapters, so stay tuned :D**

Teen Cuties: Compilation 1

Asking Out One Dynamite Gal

He knew that Tamora loved action movies, and with Iron Man 3 coming out, he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to ask her out on a real date.

She was the new girl, just moved in from…he forgot where. Somewhere very different, he supposed. She wasn't used to small towns—that much was obvious—and she wasn't much like the other girls. She was intense and no-nonsense with school work; her short, messy blond hair looked as if it could never be tamed; there wasn't much to her fashion sense, just the essentials; she sat alone at lunch and rarely socialized in or out of class; she was even on the football team for crying out loud, captaining boys that were twice the size of Felix. Her leadership was incomparable, her strength threatening and graceful all at once. The rest of the team never called her by her name, always by their nickname for her. Sergeant.

And Felix was infatuated with her, wondering how on earth such a dynamite gal could possibly feel the same about him.

They had just one class together, English, and had first met when Felix was designated to show her around campus. He was instantly smitten, Tamora probably the most stunning girl he'd ever laid eyes on, but that wasn't at all what kept his interest. She'd been distant and cold to him for reasons he'd only heard rumors about. He wanted to help her in any way he could, so the least he could do was remain friendly and considerate.

They'd later gotten to know each other better when they were assigned to do an English project together, and with Ralph. She'd come over to his house and they'd discuss the book and their project, Tamora still very straight forward about work, though he could tell that she was at least trying to relax around him. What she was genuinely annoyed by was his obvious affection for her, coupled with the fact that Ralph knew close to nothing about the book and usually had to bring along his obnoxious kid sister.

But the day they'd bonded over candy canes and chocolate milk was a day he'd not soon forget.

But that was a different story.

Felix wasn't shy when it came to Tamora, no, sir. He'd always been an all-around confident person, but Tamora made him feel like he could do anything; she made his heart feel full. It impossible for him not to smile when he saw her every day, she just made him beam.

There were a few times when he'd been cautious around her, not wanting to push the wrong buttons or bring up something that she was sensitive about. That had happened once already, and it was about an ex-boyfriend. She rashly decided not to talk about it, though he hoped that maybe later, she would want to.

But that was also another story.

This was the story of one of the most important questions he'd ever ask in his life thus far.

"Want to go to the movies Friday?"

Tamora looked down at Felix standing next to her at the lunch line. She shrugged. "I'll buy the popcorn."

Busted

"Hey, Tammy!" Felix practically shouted from across the crowded hallway of their school. The look on Tamora's face was enough to let him know that she wasn't too appreciative of the nickname being so public. He immediately remembered the conversation they'd had about keeping the name on the DL. Oops.

He fast walked to her locker and flinched when she slammed it shut. "Sorry, Tam. I plum forgot about the whole 'keeping your nickname a secret' thing. I just love it so much."

She looked down into his eyes and he could see the frustration melting away into a smirk and a shake of the head. Unknown to Felix, the combination of the boy's big blue eyes, smile, and southern accent was just enough to make Tamora forget whatever anger she had.

"It's all good, short stack." She said, grabbing his shirt collar as she did. "Just don't do it again." And with that, she brought their lips together in a soft kiss. When she pulled away, the honeyglows were absolutely burning up her boyfriend's cheeks. She relished in the effect she had on him, wondering how red he'd be if their kissing ever lasted longer than a mere three seconds.

Felix looked at his watch to check how much time they had before class, Tamora having let go of his shirt. "Four minutes till English. Might as well get there early."

"Or a little late." Tamora said, her voice getting that devious edge it had whenever she felt like doing something that was frowned upon, which was quite a new thing for her. To Felix's surprise, she and grabbed his hand, proceeding to drag him over to a more or less secluded area of lockers. She pinned him against the wall and locked her lips with his in a feverish kiss. She swept her tongue into his mouth and felt his entire body tense, the feeling so entirely new and unfamiliar to him. It took a minute for Felix to relax into her crushing embrace, but the second he did, they were caught by the principal, Mr. Litwak.

After an embarrassing talk with the principal, Felix and Tamora were walking to class with devilish grins on their faces. After a second, Tamora was chuckling to herself.

"What's so funny?" Felix asked.

"It's just, I never noticed until now…" She trailed off, not exactly knowing what to say.

"Noticed what?" Felix prodded, genuinely curious.

She was still laughing a little when she glanced at him. "My friends from my home town were always saying I was a namby-pamby rule follower, a goody-two-shoes with a hall monitor badge and a hyper sensitive sense of justice. I guess they were right. Well, except for the namby-pamby part."

"You? A rule follower? With _that_ stunt?" Felix scoffed, his nerves still on edge from their little escapade.

"You haven't known me for that long. I hate it when people are out of line, makes everything lag for the rest of society." She took his hand as they turned a corner. "But, um…when I'm with you, I just feel like doing something crazy."

Felix squeezed her hand affectionately and looked up at her with a look of understanding. "Me too."

Mr. Gene Mayor, English Teacher

"Mary's here, I saw George…Tamora?"

Mr. Mayor looked up from the role sheet when he didn't hear her proclaim her attendance, though he thought he'd seen her walk in just a moment ago.

"Tamora?" His tone was bordering on stern when he saw her head lazily resting on her hand.

"Oh, ah, here I guess." She finally said.

"…" The short in stature teacher ignored the noncommittal response from Tamora and moved on. "Felix is here, Ralph?"

"He's not here." A student replied.

"Hmm. Felix, do you know anything about this?"

"No, sir." Felix answered, shrugging. "I haven't seen him all day. We don't live together, so I don't know, he may have come down with something."

"Very well. Thank you, Felix. Now class, today we will be going over The Great Gatsby. Did everyone read the first three chapters?"

Felix felt a tap in between his shoulder blades and heard Tamora whisper from the seat just behind him. "It's not like he's never skipped class before."

Felix looked over his shoulder at her. "Tam! I'm sure Ralph is done skipping classes after what happened with the whole, well, you know."

He heard Tamora chuckle, remembering the incident in which Ralph had tried to replace Markowski as the quarterback just a few months before.

Felix twisted in his chair in order to actually see his girlfriend. Her book was open to the first page of the second chapter. She glanced up at him and stuck her tongue out. "I didn't have time to read it last night, ok?"

"Says little miss 'goody-two-shoes.'" Felix whispered.

"Hey, I'm not perfect."

Felix didn't really think about what he was about to say, it came out on its own. "Yes you are."

The look of genuine love that had taken over Felix's features gave Tamora a surprise. She stared blankly at him for a moment before the instructor called on them.

"If you two are going to talk all day, then I suggest you leave my classroom." My. Mayor said. When Felix sat back properly in his seat with an apologetic smile on his face and Tamora slouched and crossed her arms, the teacher continued with the lecture.

Before a minute had even passed, Tamora was passing notes.

_This jerk hates me._

Felix rolled his eyes and wrote back.

_He does not hate you, he's just a little strict._

_No, he hates me. He loves you. I think he's weirded out that we're dating._

_Why would that weird him out at all?_

_I don't know, maybe he wants you all to himself_

Felix had to cover his mouth with his hand in order to suppress a shout of surprise.

_WHAT?_

_He seems like a perv, and you're like a teacher's pet. Come to think of it, he gives you a lot of privileges in class, and curves the tests whenever you don't do well, and you're the only one he goes to when he needs his car fixed…I could go on forever_

_Let's stop, I don't want to get caught writing this_

"Felix."

Felix hurriedly hid the note away under his desk and snapped his head up to look at Mr. Mayor. "Yes, sir?"

"I hope you're taking notes down." He said a bit sternly.

"Yes of course!" Felix replied, trying to rid every bit of nervousness from his voice.

Mr. M seemed to buy it and continued with the lecture.

Felix felt a nudge at his side, then Tamora's voice again. "Told you so!"

She tried not to laugh as she watched her boyfriend collapse in defeat on his desk.

Waffle House

It was Saturday and Felix and Tamora were at a waffle house for lunch. Tamora had never been to one, so Felix has insisted on being the one to take her. Tamora was excited to see that the restaurant had a Galaga machine at the entrance, and had played a couple rounds before Felix took over and blew her score out of the water.

"When did you get so good at video games?" Tamora asked as they were seated and given menus.

Felix picked up the menu and answered modestly. "I'm not good at most video games, just the older cabinet games. I've wasted many a quarter on that one in particular. I think my high score is still in there."

"Impressive."

They were silent for a moment, reading through their menus before Felix cleared his throat.

"I wanted to ask you if you were thinkin' about going to the dance."

Tamora didn't look up when she answered. "This is the one with the dress code, right?"

"Yes…?" Felix trailed off, confused by the question.

"Then I don't want to go." She landed her finger on something on the menu. I think I'll have the blueberry waffles with extra hash browns."

Felix was perplexed by her sudden and slightly disappointing answer. "Why not?"

"Because then I _have_ to wear a dress. Not that I don't like getting in a skirt once on a while, but if I'm forced to wear one, it takes all the fun out of it. I'd rather have a choice, you know? Takes away from my rights as a woman."

Felix was a bit dumbfounded; he didn't really know how to react. "You really feel that way? Isn't that a bit…extreme?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you had to wear a dress in order to be allowed somewhere?"

"Well, no—"

"Exactly!" Tamora said, pounding her fist on the table to extenuate her point. "How do you think it makes me feel? You've never seen me wear anything but pants and shorts. It's because that's what I'm comfortable in, same as you, same as anyone."

Felix was a mixture of astonished and impressed. "I've never met anyone who thinks that. And you're right."

Tamora gave a small smile. "Thanks for understanding, Fix-it. You know, you can still go. You and your friends like parties."

"Yeah, but this is a dance. A school dance at that. Wouldn't be much fun without a date."

"Then take Mary or something. I trust you not to do anything you'll regret." Tamora said slyly, kicking his feet from under the table.

"Tammy." Felix said softly, reaching for her hand from across the table. "I meant that it wouldn't be any fun without you."

Tamora glanced down at their hands for a moment, than back up at him with a slightly confused look on her face. "You've been to dances without me all your life."

"Well, I don't want to go to another one unless it's with you."

Tamora bit her lip to restrain herself from smiling too much, still a bit cautious about her tough as nails reputation. The boys from her football team could walk in any second and see her melting for the future mechanic. She had a reputation to uphold. She glanced mischievously at the side of the table where the salt and pepper were. She grabbed the salt and proceeded in sprinkling some over Felix's head.

"What the hay!" Felix laughed as he swatted her hand away. "What was that for?"

"You're too sweet sometimes. I needed something to balance out the taste."

After Senior Year - Changes

Tamora was driving, sunglasses on and the window rolled down some. When the view was finally visible, she looked over to Felix to see his reaction. He was speechless for a moment, looking out of her window like a child who was seeing snow for the first time.

Except this was the ocean, which was what he'd actually never seen.

"Tammy Jean, this is amazing!" Felix said, exasperated. When she'd asked him out just a week ago, he hadn't been expecting more than a TV dinner and a movie on Netflix, but Tamora had planned much more than that. She drove them miles away from home, denying his every "where are we going" and "are we there yet" that came from him. Eventually he stopped asking and enjoyed the scenery of the highway, and eventually, the mountainous and windy roads.

"You surprised?" Tamora asked.

"Surprised? I'm more than surprised, Tammy! I'm—I' m…well I'm as thankful as I could be!" He leaned over and kissed her cheek, feeling her smile widen.

"Well, I'm glad. I wanted to do something special today. And you've never been, so I thought it was as good a time as any."

"You're one dynamite gal, Tammy Jean."

"I know."

…

The day had come and gone. Felix built a sandcastle for the first time, had lunch on the boardwalk, swam in the freezing ocean and was nearly taken by a wave, all the fun stuff. The couple was now sitting together on a log, watching the sunset. Felix was getting cold, even in his jacket. He got up and held out a hand for Tamora.

"We should start walking to the car, it's getting late."

Tamora looked up at him and took his hand, pulling him down again.

"Felix, before we go, I need to tell you something." She paused, making sure he was paying attention. "It's serious. _Beyond_ serious."

"Ok." Felix replied softly, taking his hand back and gripping his own knee, wondering what kind of support she needed, because he would give it. And she knew that.

"Felix…this is hard for me to say to you, but you're the first person who needs to know." She was scolding herself for not having said it earlier, like a few weeks earlier, but this was as good a time as any. _No more beating around the bush pussy willow, just say it!_ "I'm joining the Marines."

Whatever Felix was expecting, he wasn't expecting that. They'd graduated just last month and now she was telling him? He froze for a moment, his eyes glued to hers. He could see the fear and apprehension in her face; she been afraid to tell him. She was seeking his approval, his support, his love. He couldn't deny her that. Not like Brad had all those years ago.

"When are you leaving?" Felix asked in a somber tone.

Tamora didn't even hesitate. "Two weeks from now."

Felix was silent again. "Darlin', I—" He was ultimately at a loss until he remembered just how much he trusted her with his every thought. And this was her trusting him. He had to say something. "As much as I want you to stay, I know I can't ask you that. I love you, and no matter what you do, I'll always be here."

Tamora's eyes were dry one moment, but once she saw the tears of shock in Felix's eyes, even after his words of approval, it broke her heart to see him feeling so bittersweet. She sat as close as possible to him, wrapped her arms around him and kissed his tears away, eventually capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and ran his fingers through her short blond hair, pulling her as close as physically possible.

They eventually separated when the sun was almost down. Neither could see each other too well in the darkness, but neither cared.

"You'll be waiting for me?" Tamora said, almost breathlessly.

She felt his hand gently brush along the side of her face, then his lips were at her ear. "Always."

This was why Felix was unlike Brad; better then Brad. Felix wasn't just a fun guy to be with, a party animal, a hopeless romantic, or a straight A student. He was hers. His heart was pure and his love unwavering.

…

It was close to midnight when Tamora parked in front of his house to drop him off.

"So," Felix began. "After you leave, when will I see you again?"

Tamora leaned over and kissed him for a few long seconds before pulling back and answering. "I'm not sure. I'll let you know."

"Ok." He said, opening the passenger side door. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You kidding, short stack? I'm not letting you out of my sight for two weeks. Take this time to prepare yourself." She said, warning with a grin.

Felix stepped out of the car and saluted. "Yes ma'am."


	2. Chapter 2

Teen Cuties: Compilation 2

Tears

Tamora was reluctant driving over to Felix's house to work on their English project, for reasons she did not want to admit to herself. He was a nice guy; an _overly _nice guy; so nice and charming that he could win over just about _anyone _with that relentlessly sweet smile of his, or with that sensitive southern accent, or with the way his brilliant blue eyes shimmered or how his cheeks were bright red all the time—

_Keep it together Tamora, _she thought to herself as she drove up to Felix's house. There was no way she was attracted to this goon! She'd just been through a bad break up and the last thing she wanted was another boyfriend.

Tamora shut her eyes in a small fit of anguish and gripped the steering wheel after parking the car. _Get over him already, he isn't worth your tears anymore. _

She knocked on the door and waited for a good minute before attempting to let herself in, which proved to be successful, the front door unlocked. There was no sign of anyone, not even Ralph or his annoying little sister. Just when she was about to call his name, she entered the kitchen and saw him. She wasn't surprised to see candy canes scattered everywhere, those were obviously left by Vanellope, but what did catch her off guard was the sight of Felix sitting at the counter with a box of Nesquik chocolate milk mix, eating it with a spoon as if it were cereal.

This event would have been completely insignificant and/or annoying to Tamora if she had never done this herself. _But she had. Many a time. When trying to get over Brad._

When Felix finally noticed her standing in the doorway, he nearly fell out of his chair, but saved himself by gripping the counter.

And then Felix heard something he'd never heard before in his short life.

Tamora's laughter.

She wasn't laughing long, but the lingering joy in her face made Felix's heart flutter. And just when he was trying to eat his feelings about her too. Now she was here, laughing, smiling, right in front of him, and he had no idea what to do but smile back and let his cheeks turn an embarrassing red.

And for a moment, he thought he saw her eyes glisten.

A Little More Than Friends

"I had a bad break up, Ok?"

Felix was surprised to hear her say anything, let alone something completely off topic. They were in the library studying together, given they were studying different things. Felix was working on his mechanics homework while Tamora was supposedly reading for English, although it was obvious she was procrastinating, having been staring off into space for quite a while.

"What was that now?" Felix asked quietly, eyeing the Nazi-of-a-librarian from across the room, making sure she hadn't heard them.

"Before I moved here," Tamora started, her voice low as well, "I had a really bad break up and I don't want to date anyone right now. It's just too much for me."

Felix nodded, his eyes reflecting his genuine understanding. "Of course. Thank you for being so honest with me."

Tamora gave a small smile and exhaled, having wanted to get that off her chest. She knew they were friends and just hung out for the heck of it, but it was obvious how Felix felt about her and she didn't want to break the little guy's heart—let alone cater to her own desires regarding wanting to date him, not now anyway.

Before she could return to her reading, Felix spoke again.

"I knew about the break up before, though."

Tamora took a second to process the statement before her look of slight confusion turned into a deadly glare. "What?!" Was her response, having said it in a rather normal volume, gaining the librarian's attention.

Felix's eyes grew wide, more in fear that Tamora would get them kicked out of the library than anything else, though she was quite intimidating. He'd gotten quite used to her threats and thought she was cute when she was angry.

"Kohut told me, a few weeks ago, I think." He whispered, making near frantic gestures pleading her to quiet down.

"Kohut…" Tamora growled, making a fist and almost pounding it on the table. She continued in a harsh whisper. "That blabbermouth, pussy willow. What right does he think he has telling everyone my secrets?"

Felix took a moment before answering, enveloping his hand over Tamora's still clenched fist. "He told me because he thought I could help you."

Tamora still looked mad, but didn't reject his hand. "Help me?"

"Help you adjust to everything, and to understand you. If I hadn't known, I don't think I would have known what to say to you or how to even approach you. And…I probably would have asked you out right away."

Tamora shook her head and pulled her hand away. "Fix-it—"

"I know, I get it." Felix interrupted, hands in the air like he was surrendering. "We're just friends. That's fine with me."

Tamora shook her head again, this time with a slight smile on her face. "No. I think we're a little more than friends." She looked back up at Felix and he could tell that she'd cooled down; that she understood where he was coming from and grateful for their friendship.

And then they were kicked out of the library.

Popular

Tamora didn't want to be at this party, but her team had won the first game of the football season and they wanted to celebrate.

So here she was, sitting by the pool in Markowski's backyard and watching people socialize. It wasn't that she didn't like parties, but she'd only been at this school for a couple months and still didn't really know anyone besides her teammates, and they were all dancing. She wasn't too fond of dancing.

She knew Felix liked parties, but doubted he'd be there, so she didn't look for him.

Until she heard the crowd inside, chanting his name.

…

Everyone knew that Felix was the mascot, (apparently everyone except for Tamora). It was just another reason why he was so popular. Felix enjoyed the attention, but only to an extent. He was naturally a humble guy, so he thought the anonymity would give him a creative outlet. To his surprise, having everyone know it was him wasn't too embarrassing, and people liked his dancing, even when he was just at parties being himself.

It was funny to think that he'd only agreed to be the mascot because he was one of the only people able to fit in the Lion costume, it being abnormally small.

He had been to the game, obviously, and some friends had taken him to the party. From the moment he arrived—a little late due to him having to change out of his costume—he went looking for Tamora. He texted her twice, but never received a reply, which made him a bit anxious. Could she not hear her phone? Was she ignoring him? Was she not even at the party?

Before Felix could go and investigate, Mary excitedly walked over from the living room. "Feelix!" she sang. "You're needed on the dance floor!"

Felix wasn't necessarily in a dancing mood, still a bit winded from the game, but he couldn't refuse one his oldest friends. She practically dragged him back to the living room when people started to chant his name. The peer pressure worked every time, he had to admit, but it was just dancing, so he'd always felt happy to do it.

Just then, he saw Tamora walking in. Knowing that this would be the perfect chance to impress her, he turned to Mary.

"Turn up the volume."

…

Tamora was having difficulty believing what she was seeing. She knew Felix was popular, but had no idea that _this_ was the reason why. People were surrounding him, cheering him on as he danced. It was some sort of free style that she'd never seen. She wondered how such a sweet, nerdy guy could be so coordinated; how a guy as modest as Felix could have a scene like this.

Eventually, everyone broke out in dance, which really only consisted of jumping up and down to the music, and Tamora had seen enough. She turned to go back outside when she felt a hand touch her arm. She looked back to see Felix.

"Tamora! I've been trying to get a hold of you all night!" Felix said, raising his voice a little because of the loud music. Tamora took his hand as they maneuvered their way out of the crowd and back outside.

"I've been here. Why didn't you call me?" Tamora asked.

"I texted you. Twice." Felix said, folding his arms in mock frustration.

Tamora raised her eyebrows at him and his resolve was lost when he smiled wide. "I'm serious, though. Did you get my texts?"

She reached into her pocket and checked her phone. It read "2 messages."

"Woops." She said. "Sorry about that, short stack."

"It's fine, no worries." Felix reassured her. "So…would you like to dance?"

Tamora made a face. "I don't dance. And it's not really my thing."

Felix smiled and took her arm again. "That's because you've never danced with me."

Tamora glared at him playfully. "Getting a little cocky there, dancing queen."

Felix honestly didn't have a comeback for that one, but that was ok, Tamora usually won when comparing their wits.

"Just give it a try. For me?" Felix asked. Seeing that she still wasn't too thrilled, he compromised. "If you don't like it, you can throw me in the pool. Deal?"

So after she gave it a try and still didn't like it, she threw Felix in the pool.

First Kiss

The longest night of their lives was over. Vanellope had run off after getting in a fight with Ralph and they'd found her, thank heavens.

When Felix had called Tamora to help, she being the only person he knew who had a car, he was surprised when she actually said yes. She'd called the police for them, of course, but it was Ralph who eventually figured out where she was.

All drama aside, everything was good again. Felix was so darn happy knowing that Vanellope was safe and seeing how much Ralph cared about her. It warmed his heart and made him think a little more about love and loss. He looked up at Tamora, knowing he was in love with her; knowing that he wanted to prove to her that they could be together; that he wouldn't break her heart.

He would only fix it.

He got up on his tip toes and planted a kiss on her cheek. It was a small peck, and he had a smile on his face until her bewildered expression turned into one of aggravation. She gripped his shirt collar and their faces were inches apart. He tried to recover from his now seemingly stupid move before the unthinkable happened.

She kissed him. And on the lips! He stood there in complete shock for a moment before he allowed himself to relax into her embrace, raising his hands to cup her face.

Tamora was overwhelmed with emotion, consumed by relief, her heart flooding with joy. For the longest time she believed staying away from Felix would solve her problems, and with any other guy, that may have been the case. But Felix was different. They were different. And she was finally ready to find out exactly what all of this meant.

"Yuck! Get a room guys!" They heard Vanellope shout at them.

Calhoun ended the kiss and looked over at the girl now sitting on Ralph's shoulders. "You'll get it when you're older."

"Gross! I'm never growing up! So there." the girl exclaimed, sticking her tongue out at them.

"You? A nine year old forever? I'm not sure I could handle that." Ralph said.

Felix laughed, his face still bright red from receiving his first kiss.

**A/N: Praise, flame, or ignore the review box to your heart's content :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow that took awhile. Nevertheless, enjoy :D**

Teen Cuties - Compilation 3

Learning Curve

"You make skateboarding look so _easy_." Felix said as he limped into the kitchen.

"And you make it look more difficult then brain surgery." Tamora replied under her breath.

"Hey! I heard that."

"Well, you do!" Tamora said, unable to hide her laughter. She took his hands gingerly in hers and grew serious examining the damage; he'd scraped them up pretty badly. Pushing him towards the sink, Tamora went to go find the first aid kit while he cleaned his cuts. When she got back, he was washing his bloodied knee.

"Still, it was your first time skateboarding." Tamora said, shrugging. "I've seen worse."

"Oh yeah?" Felix asked, straightening up. "Who could possibly do worse than me? I ran into a _parked car_."

"Not to mention when you tripped on a rock and launched yourself headfirst into the street." Tamora added, not giving him a second to reprimand her, though he did give her a disapproving stare. "But that's beside the point. My first try was ten times worse than yours. I was eight years old when I got my first scar." She lifted up her shin and pointed to a large white line that ran across it. "I lost a lot of blood, can't even remember the ride to the hospital."

"Wow." Felix said, honestly surprised by the story, having never been so adventurous—or was it reckless?—as a child. He gave a breath of laughter. "That scar puts all of mine to shame. See this one?" He held up his still hurting hand and extended his index finger, revealing a "C" shaped scar just below the nail. "Got that fixing a bike chain. Left blood stains on the curb for a couple weeks. I've got little scars all over my hands from fixin' cars and things. It's a learning curve, figuring out how to avoid hurting yourself in the line of handiwork."

He'd said that last line with such gusto that Tamora couldn't help but smile at his cheesiness. "You're such a nerd." She said, shaking her head while she took one of his hands.

While she wrapped the cuts on his hands, Felix's eyes wandered to her bare arms. She usually wore long or three-quarter sleeves, but with summer approaching, she'd switched to tank tops. Small scars were riddled across her arms; scars he was unsure of asking about, so he didn't say anything about them. With his free hand, he reached for one of her arms and smoothed his fingers over a few of the unnatural marks, the feather light touches making her squirm a little.

Tamora stopped wrapping his hand for a moment, her eyes darting to his delicate ministrations. Their eyes met promptly and Felix froze. They'd known each other all school year, but had only been dating for about two months now—which in high school felt like years. In reality, he didn't know too much about her past or her heartbreak, just that she had in fact had gone through a tough break up. He got a little nervous just then. Had he crossed the line?

Tamora, just as quickly as she had stopped, continued and finished wrapping his hand. She promptly took the other one and began again.

"I needed to feel something other than…inner pain, I guess." Tamora said, affirming his thoughts about how she obtained such marks. But that didn't stop his curiosity or his worry.

"…You've stopped, right?" He barely heard himself say it. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her, but he wanted more than anything for her to feel comfortable talking things out with him.

Tamora didn't look up from her task. "You fix more than you know."

Letting the words and their meaning sink in, Felix blushed profusely and earned a warm smile from Tamora. He took a deep breath and relaxed.

So far, he'd learned how to make her smile and how to make her laugh. He'd also somewhat inadvertently gotten her over Brad and made her happy. Eventually, he'd learn how to get her to talk. Eventually.

Anti-Prom Night

Tamora was home alone doing an extra credit assignment, having absolutely nothing better to do. It was Prom Night, an agonizingly over-advertised event that she'd been dreading for weeks now. The absolute pageantry of it made her want to puke, and on top of that, everyone was making just another dance seem like the most important night of their lives. She had better things to do with her time.

Like extra credit.

"Ok. Not the perfect plan…" Tamora mumbled to herself, leaning back in her chair and refraining from chewing her pencil. She looked at her digital clock.

8:00p.m.

She sighed, bored already and with nothing to do, all her friends at prom by now, including her boyfriend.

Luckily, Felix was the most understanding boyfriend a girl could have and didn't mind her rejecting his invitation to Junior Prom. Because he'd never brought up the subject more than once, she assumed that he had gone with friends and that she would be spending the night alone.

The doorbell rang, interrupting Tamora's…procrastinating. She was immediately perplexed, obviously not expecting anyone. She was also hesitant, having already changed into her pajamas. Leaning towards the wall, she pushed the blinds up to look out her window, seeing none other than Felix standing patiently at her doorstep.

She fast walked into the living room and opened the door to find her boyfriend looking casually dressy, wearing a blue sweater vest over a lighter blue dress shirt with jeans and sneakers. Slung over his shoulder was a heavy looking back pack, and in his opposite hand was a grocery bag.

"…Hey Fix-it." She said, smiling through her confusion.

"Looking gorgeous as ever, Tammy Jean." Felix said, a genuine look of adoration on his face along with the usual honeyglows.

Tamora noted that he apparently had a thing for her in pajamas, consisting of baggy sweat pants and an oversized T-shirt, (it was a Call of Duty shirt today).

"So, uh, what are you doing here? I thought you wanted to go to prom." Tamora said coolly as she let Felix into the house and closed the door.

Felix set his things down on the couch and turned back towards her. "I couldn't have gone without you, it wouldn't have been right."

Tamora shook her head at him, too amused to really be annoyed with him. "I hate it when you do that."

"Do what?" Felix asked, raising an eyebrow as he came up close to her and took her hands in his, promptly bringing them up to his lips and kissing them.

Tamora gently pried her hands away. "Your sentimentality is almost suffocating. And, uh, _flattery_ don't charge these batteries."

Felix crossed his arms and pouted slightly, knowing full well that she wasn't a fan of flattery _most of the time, _and that the sly tone of voice she'd just used was more playful then serious. "Well, _excuse me_ if I can't _help_ it."

Tamora couldn't repress her smile or her laughter for much longer. She pulled him into a hug and he gratefully accepted, loving how perfect they seemed to fit together. Tamora was a good few inches taller than he was, making it easy for her to wrap her arms around his shoulders and just lean on him.

"And, it's just a dance, Fix-it." Tamora added, her voice a bit softer because of their close proximity.

Felix pulled back slightly and looked up at her. "To you, tonight might be just about a regular old dance, but for me, tonight is about us." Felix nodded toward the stuff he'd brought over. "Even if we're just sitting here playing video games and eating apple pie."

Kin

Felix Sr. heard Tamora's car roll up to the curb and made it to the door before she could even step out.

"Heya, Tamora!" Felix Sr. said after she gave a short wave. He remained standing in the doorway until she walked over, automatically opening his arms in that overwhelmingly fatherly way of his. Tamora semi-reluctantly hugged him, knowing that he wouldn't let her in if she refused; it'd happened before.

Before she could even ask about her boyfriend, Felix Sr. let her in and closed the door behind them. "Felix is in the garage workin' on that old motorcycle."

Tamora rolled her eyes. "I should have known. And always when he has something to do, like, I don't know, be on time for a date?"

Felix Sr. chuckled at her sarcasm, knowing full well that she didn't mind Felix's passion for tinkering. In all honesty, she admired it. "Don't let that worry you. There's nothing he thinks is more important than being with you."

Tamora tried not to look embarrassed, but knew that she was failing miserably. Felix Sr. did that all the time. He'd say things like that right to their faces, even when they were together or in public. She'd never had a father, so the attention was unfamiliar, yet strangely enough, she appreciated it to an extent. Even if it was embarrassing.

"He's been in there for a few hours now." Felix Sr. continued nonchalantly. "I never know when he's gonna call it quits."

"That's because he doesn't have a sense of time." Tamora replied teasingly, already making her way to the garage door.

"Ain't that the truth, darlin.'" Felix Sr. laughed.

Tamora smiled and entered the garage to find Felix kneeling down on the concrete floor, grease everywhere and tools in hand. Music was playing from his laptop on the floor next to him. He looked up for a moment, the total concentration on his face quickly melting into a goofy smile.

"Hi, Tammy!"

"I know you have a watch, Fix-it. I bought it for you." Tamora said, skipping her usual greeting and pretending to be angry with him.

"Which is why I take it off when I'm working. Don't want to get it dirty or nothin.'" Felix said cheerfully, ignoring her mock frustration. He looked up at her again, showing her his bare wrist.

Tamora's resolve faded quickly and she shook her head at him. "Good thing too, you're filthy."

Felix laughed. "You don't mind waiting for a second, do you? I'm almost done here."

"Take your time." She reassured him, walking over and sitting down close to him. She turned his laptop around to see it. He had it playing an 80's playlist, his favorite genre. She rolled her eyes, wondering how on earth they were compatible. She preferred grungier music, like dub step.

"There. Finished. Finally!" Felix said in triumph. He'd been working on the same motorcycle for nearly half a year, determined to make it work. He shifted on the floor to face his girlfriend. "Now all we have to do is test it out."

She made a face that he immediately interpreted.

"Later, later. I know, I know! We've got a date." He amended.

"A date, may I remind you, that _you _so eagerly wanted to go on." Tamora countered. A patch of grease on his nose suddenly caught her attention and her eyes wandered. He had similar patches in the shell of his ear, his chin, and his neck. "But before we go anywhere, you're washing your face."

"Did I do that again?" Felix asked, looking at his hands as Tamora began to stand. "I try not to touch my face, then I never notice when I do."

"Ok, absent minded professor." Tamora teased. Felix stood up himself and she kissed him softly on the lips. "The sooner you get ready, the sooner you can actually touch me. I'm not getting oil on my new shirt."

"But it's a black shirt…" Felix said under his breath, which earned him a playful glare from Tamora.

…

While Felix was washing up and changing clothes, Tamora was sitting in the living room with Felix Sr.

"Do you have plans for after graduation?" Felix Sr. asked, visibly more excited about graduation then she could ever muster.

"I don't know. I was invited to a few graduation parties, so I might show up to some. Felix said your family is coming up from Georgia?"

"Yep, it's a good enough excuse as any. Haven't seen my brother and sisters in a long while, and Felix hasn't seen his cousins since he was a kid. They send letters all the time, pictures and things."

"Of course they do." Tamora said, more to herself then Felix Sr. "That sounds like something he'd do. I bet he seals them with stickers."

Felix Sr. laughed. "How'd you know?"

Tamora hesitated, asking herself if she really wanted to tell Felix's father about the love letters Felix left in her locker on occasion. "Um…he decorated my folder with stickers once while I wasn't looking."

And that wasn't a lie.

Felix Sr. nodded, momentarily changing the subject. "Is any of your family comin' to see you?"

Tamora was quiet for a moment before answering, unaware of how much he knew about her family life; if Felix had told him anything. "No, I haven't heard from anybody." She said a bit too nonchalantly. "I don't have a big family, or a close one for that matter, we're all over the place. Mom's going to be gone on business, so it'll just be me for the weekend."

Felix Sr. was silent, his eyes narrowed in befuddlement. "Well, that's just ridiculous! This is one of the biggest days of your life, well, so far! And no family to support you?"

Tamora was surprised by his mild outburst and just shrugged. She'd been annoyed at her mother's timing before, but knew that it couldn't be postponed, so was fine with it. Her family on the other hand, was a disjointed group of people, people she hadn't been in contact with for a very long time.

"Well, you can join us then." Felix Sr. proposed confidently. "You're practically part of the family anyway."

Tamora could not prevent her cheeks from burning red at the statement, also unaware of how much he knew about her and Felix's love life and/or the almost-proposal he'd sprung on her the other day. Embarrassment aside, she was humbled to be thought of as family by one of the nicest dads she'd ever met.

"You'd really be Ok with that?" She asked, a bit hesitantly, already knowing just how much he meant what he said.

"Of course! And I bet Jr. wouldn't protest. Above all…" Felix Sr. paused, thinking about what he wanted to say. He got up from his chair and sat down next to Tamora looking serious, his eyes staring straight ahead for a moment in concentration. "I know you never knew your father, and I sympathize. I just want you to know that I'm proud of you. I may have only known you for a couple years, but you've changed, and you've grown. And you've made my Felix happier than I've ever seen him. I want to see you succeed in life like I know you will. And if you'd let me, I'd like to be something of a father to you."

Tamora surprisingly wasn't taken aback. She was almost expecting him to say what he did. Giving him an appreciative look, she said, "You kind of already are."

Felix Sr. smiled, hoping that he'd be her legal father one day. "Good. Now…where is that boy?"

Home

Felix was hard at work, handyman of the month at his father's local business. It had always been his intention to take over the business one day; the young high school graduate had no big dreams of leaving the small town or anything fancy, he just wanted a place to call home and a livelihood he enjoyed.

Then how on earth did he fall for one of the most adventurous, dynamite gals on earth? He wondered that often when he thought about his Tammy Jean. She'd been gone all of four months, the ache in his heart a bittersweet one, knowing that she was out doing what she felt was her calling, just the same as he was.

But he missed her. Every day, he'd wake up alone and remember the two weeks of late nights and lazy mornings they'd spent together. He half feared that when she returned, she'd grow tired of him; bored with his simple nature. But he couldn't truly believe that, not with the knowledge of how much she missed him as well. They'd been writing letters back and forth, all of hers consisting of mild venting, questions about him and his father, and brief expressions of love.

_Short Stop, _

_Today was the worst day by far, my muscles are screaming. Some of my peers are downright pansies. I can't believe I have to deal with these people. At least Kohut's here to keep me sane. _

_How's life without school? Bet you're still going to parties, or are you too busy crashing that motorcycle of yours? How's dad? Has he made you 'employee of the month' yet? haha_

_I miss seeing you every day. It's weird, I forgot how cold it can be at night sleeping alone. _

_Anyway, I'll be back in a couple of weeks. _

_Love, TJC_

He reread her letters when he got bored, and sometimes, he'd stare at the ring he'd bought for her. He'd meant to propose, knowing they were too young; knowing how neither of them were ready; knowing that they loved each other enough, and only had eyes for each other, but couldn't just yet.

Felix was done for the day and was riding his bike home when he noticed a car driving very slowly behind him. He was perplexed for the longest time, giving the vehicle plenty of space on the road to pass him. He finally looked back to see that it was Tamora's car, he recognized it by the license plate. He couldn't see who was driving because the lights were in his eyes, but it didn't keep him from guessing. He hastily drove his bike onto the curb and through it aside, staring at the car while it pulled up just next to him.

Just before him, Tamora stepped out of the car and locked eyes with him. In a second, they were together, Felix's arms wrapped around her shoulders as she picked him up off the ground. Their lips met in a breathtaking kiss, neither willing to be the one to pull away.

Moments later, it was Felix who had to speak, feet on the ground once more, arms now tightly wrapped around her middle. "You're home early!" He exclaimed. "You said you'd be at the train station early tomorrow."

"Well, how else was I supposed to surprise you?" Tamora snickered, looking down at him, playing with his hair.

"You planned this?"

"You're lucky it wasn't more elaborate. Kohut wanted to send you a note that said I wasn't coming back at all because of some fatal injury. I told him not to do it afraid that you'd die of a heart attack."

Felix laughed, of course Kohut would want to make matters more dramatic. "Being without you for that long nearly killed me."

"That was more like my motivation. If I passed with flying colors, I'd get to see you knowing I'd earned it." Tamora said, leaning closer and planting a kiss on Felix's nose.

"Tammy Jean…" Felix trailed off before pulling her into another kiss, this one more languid and slow then the first.

"I love you." Tamora nearly whispered just over his lips.

"I love you more than you know." Felix replied just as sensually.

"I love you more than its healthy to love a person." She countered, the edge in her voice back, playing games now.

"Come on now, does this really have to be a competition?"

"Are you really complaining?" Tamora said, an eyebrow creeping up in question.

Felix sighed; she knew him too well. "No, ma'am, not at all."

**I understand if you guys think Calhoun may be a bit OOC, but I was trying to find out how her teenage self would react to things, and you know, teenagers aren't all that mature to begin with. Any criticism is fine and encouraged :)**

**Praise, flame, and ignore the review box to your heart's content.**


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